


Through Your Eyes

by FlowerOfRegret



Category: Ghost - Mystery Skulls (Music Video), Mystery Skulls (Band)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Nightmares, OT3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 07:59:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6648997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlowerOfRegret/pseuds/FlowerOfRegret
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Who says Arthur is the only one with guilt riddled nightmares?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Through Your Eyes

Lewis hated heights.

Falling. His newest, greatest fear. Heights never used to bother him. He and Vivi used to enjoy ‘life on the edge’ so to speak. But, ever since ‘That Night’, Lewis seemed to shy away from anything considered too high. Second story windows were ok, third story views were tolerable, but anything higher was unacceptable.

Lewis’s fear would take over and he wouldn’t be able to move and would tremble uncontrollably. After some coaxing, he would squeeze his eyes/eye sockets shut and one of his friends would have to lead him until they were clear of the view.

Vivi and Arthur noticed this new fear early on and neither of them would push him beyond his comfort zone. Even if he was a ghost, who could float, and couldn’t die from falling a second time.

But nightmares were another matter.

Vivi had left on a short trip to visit some of her family and Mystery went with her (because past experiences proved that they should always go in pairs no matter the circumstance). So that left Arthur and Lewis at the mansion together until she got back.

The dynamic duo didn’t mind being cooped up in the ghostly manor with no means of transportation for a few days, especially since Lewis forgave Arthur and rekindled their relationship.

The first night, they didn’t really know what to do. So they made a pillow fort and had a video game tournament.

Arthur won obviously but Lewis vowed ‘revenge’ after Arthur claimed to be the _king_ and started making demands, a blanket draped over his shoulders like a cape. By night two Lewis won every game by ‘supernatural’ means (which Arthur called cheating).

Their playful scuffle resulted in a pillow fight. But, once they beat the stuffing out of each other, and the pillows, they decided to snuggle up in the pillow fort for a few movies.

After Arthur fell asleep, Lewis turned the TV off and carried the smaller man up to bed. At first he was just going to go back downstairs to clean up their mess since he didn’t really need to sleep. But, after tucking his friend in, he couldn’t turn away.

The blonde looked so peaceful, which was a rare sight, and Lewis found himself sitting in Arthur's desk chair, watching the others’ chest slowly rise and fall with every breath.

He could always get the mess later.

Arthur mumbled incoherently as he shifted under the blankets. Lewis’s chest rumbled in a chuckle and that brought a small smile to the blondes’ lips.

After a while, without realizing it, the ghost became so content that he slipped into a ‘resting’ state. His human façade fading away, Lewis had just closed his eye sockets when he was thrown into darkness, falling, falling, falling.

Just when he was about to scream however, his backside made contact with what he assumed was the floor. “Dios Mio” he mumbled as he sat up. Opening his eyes, he tried to take in his surroundings.

It was very dark. The only thing visible really was the red, Persian rug he was sitting on. Suddenly, a spot light seemed to illuminate in front of him and shine on what appeared to be a coffin.

His coffin

“Did I faze through the floor?” he thought aloud as he scanned his eyes around the room.

At least, it somewhat resembled his room and coffin, but it seemed more menacing. The coffins’ black surface didn’t reflect as it seemed to suck up all the light around it. The design on the lid pulse red, the skull being consumed by deadly vines as they crushed it with thorns.

Lewis felt this pit in his non-existent stomach as the lid began to open. The hinges creaked in protest against the movement as green fog spilled out and covered the floor all around. The air became thick and humid as charcoal black fingers with bone, armored knuckles snaked out to grasp the coffin lid. The finger tips resembled talons as their claws dug deep gouges where they grasped.

The taloned hand slowly pushed the lid further open and a large, shadowy figure stood within. As it stepped out, it seemed to grow in size until it towered several feet above Lewis, its’ head leering down at the cowering man.

Black smoke seemed to pulse off its body. Jagged bones curled around its broad chest, encasing its body as a bony tail swished irritably behind its’ back. As Lewis continued to look up, he saw its head was a large skull with grey horns curling over its shoulders. It had jagged fangs that curled into a horrible grin.

Lewis was shaking now as the horror before him gave him its full attention, its eyes nothing more than crimson pits. Red and pink fire erupted on its’ skull and continued down its’ back, all the way to the tip of its tail.

Lewis could feel the heat sear into his skin, sweat pouring down his face. A deep-throated roar erupted all around as the creature lunged a taloned hand towards him. Lewis screamed as he got to his feet and ran; the ground shuddered from the impact where he had been only moments ago.

Another roar broke out behind him as he tried to escape. Lewis was panicking as he continued to run, his surroundings changing into a long hallway. Purple flamed candles lit up as he passed to reveal scorched walls on either side of him. Dark stains smeared the floor and he tried not to imagine what had caused them.

He could feel the ground shaking as the beast galloped after him, running on all fours with its tail lashing.

“ ** _You Can’t Run Forever Coward!”_** it roared, its voice shaking with rage.

Lewis could feel hot tears prick at the corners of his eyes as his breath became more labored. His heart felt like it was going to explode from his chest.

Wait, his heart?

Before Lewis could process what he just thought, he came to an abrupt stop as he made contact with something solid. The force knocked the wind out of him as he bounced back and sprawled on the ground, head spinning.

He slowly sat up and put his left hand to his head as if to stop the approaching head ache. He looked up and jumped as he saw someone else with a pained and panicked expression sitting across from himself. After inspecting the spiked, blonde hair and the puffy, orange vest, Lewis realized it was Arthur he was staring at.

As his vision began to clear, Lewis looked over his shoulder before turning back to his friend and shouting at him.

“Arthur, we need to get out of here!”

“…?”

That’s weird, Arthur seemed to shout the same thing but Lewis didn’t hear his own voice, only Arthur's’.

Arthur seemed to have the same confused look on his face. Lewis went to stand up and noticed the arm he was using to rub his head. Looking at it, he saw his arm was covered in metal. Not covered. His arm Was metal. Lewis snapped his head back towards Arthur and saw the blonde mimic his movements. Lewis felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

“What?”

Lewis brought his hands up and grabbed tight fistfuls of his hair. Arthur did the same as the terror in his eyes grew. Lewis took a step forward as his friend did the same and they both put their hands out in front of them. He came in contact with a glass surface.

It was a mirror.

As he continued to stare, his skin started to darken, turning green. The reflections' face broke out into a hellish grin as Lewis began to step back.

No, no, no

A deep throated growl rumbled behind him, making Lewis whirl around and press his back flush with the mirrored wall.

“ ** _You!! You Back Stabbing Bastard!! Did you really think you could escape me?!_** ” the monster roared, its voice riddled with venom and hate. Black saliva dripped from its’ fangs and glopped to the ground, making a disgusting ‘splat’ when it hit, burning the ground like acid.

Lewis looked around frantically, trying to find on opening. Suddenly, a green arm shot out from the mirror behind him and put him in a throat hold. Lewis gagged as the pressure increased around his neck, his hands clawing at the rotting flesh.

“ _Stop struggling, puppet~, I told you he wouldn’t forgive you~”_ a voice hissed in his ear playfully.

“ ** _You’re nothing but a worthless, pathetic cowered!”_** the monster in front of him rumbled, almost amused.

Lewis was forced to face what he now knew to be a nightmare version of himself as the creature raised a clawed fist over its head. It erupted in red flames as it was brought down on him. A piercing roar was the last thing he heard as fire consumed him.

“ ** _This Is What You Deserve Traitor!!”_**

Fire! Fire Everywhere!

Lewis began screaming as he thrashed out with his arms and legs. He Was Burning Alive!

“Lewis!”

Something grabbed his shoulder and he grabbed it in blind panic. His eyes flashed wildly as he went to rip the green arm away. Something crunched in his hand. Amber eyes pierced his vision and he froze. They looked pained, concerned and full of fear.

Lewis felt cold. His heart pulsed rapidly on the ‘outside’ of his chest. His vision began to clear with each pulse. The ghost slowly looked down at it before seeing what was in his grasp.

Arthurs’ metal arm was crushed like tin-foil in his bony grip as the specters’ mind slowly began to clear. He was on the floor, backed up into a corner. He could see a smoldering chair behind a frail man standing in front of him. The walls on either side of them were scorched black and the air was heavy with soot.

“A-are ya with me big guy?” Arthur asked, his voice full of concern and a little shaky.

Looking back to the blonde, new terror arose in the ghost’s eyes as he saw Arthur had a scorch mark on his shirt and his prosthetic was crushed in his hand. Lewis dropped the arm as though it had bit him and clutched at the sides of his skull.

“No, no, no….I… I d-didn’t mean….. I-I…” Lewis’s voice shook as he started to tremble. Glowing tears formed at the corners of his eye sockets as he stared at the arm.

“I… I’m s-sorry… I’m sorry, I’m sorry” Lewis began to sob, shaking his skull from side to side, his eyes never leaving the mangled piece of metal.

Arthur took a step back and detached his prosthetic. He let the useless arm hit the floor with a soft ‘clunk’. The sound made the specter wince as he continued to sob. The blonde then removed his scorched shirt, wadding it up in a ball and tossing it aside.

Lewis couldn’t help but stare at the smaller mans’ bare chest. Arthur's skin was pail and riddled with uneven scars. Lewis didn’t mind the scars but Arthur was always self-conscious about them, convinced they were ugly and afraid they would bother his friends.

Lewis could name the time and place for every mark on Arthurs’ body. From the faint lines from bullies in school to the pentagrams and knife marks from cults and demons.

Arthurs’ body was like a road map and every scar had its own story. But, dead center of the blondes’ chest, there was a new mark; an angry red burn that looked distinctly like a large palm print.

Upon seeing this, Lewis began to wail.

Arthur stepped up to the crying specter and dropped to his knees. Using his only arm, he wrapped Lewis’ skull up and pressed the ghosts’ face into his shoulder, rubbing the back of his skull affectionately.

Lewis’s shoulders shook as he continuously wailed apologies, nuzzling into the crook of his friends’ neck. His arms trembled as they slowly wrapped around the smaller mans’ body, pulling him close.

“It’s alright Lew. I’ve got ya buddy, you’re safe now…”

Arthur began to rock slowly while whispering, shushing the specters’ ramblings. Neither one knew how much time had passed as they stayed on the floor until Lewis’ sobs became small hiccups.

The ghost reluctantly brought his skull up to look at his friend. Arthur gave a sad smile and his eyes were red with tear stains down his cheeks. But Lewis’ eyes soon drifted to the red mark on Arthurs’ chest. More glowing tears flowed down his cheek bones as his hand hovered over the burn, wanting to sooth it but fearing he would cause more damage.

Arthur slowly removed his hand from Lewis’ cheek and gently pressed the boney hand hovering over his chest onto the mark. Lewis flinched, thinking he would agitate the burn but Arthur only shook his head.

“It’s not as bad as it looks” he whispered, his sad smile never wavering.

Lewis leaned forward and both men had their foreheads pressed together. Lewis’ other hand rested on Arthurs’ scared shoulder, rubbing small circles with his thumb as tears continued to fall.

“I’m so sorry Artie….” he sobbed.

“It wasn’t your fault Lew. You had a nightmare is all” Arthur whispered back.

Lewis pulled back to look the blonde in the eye.

“But…, it was my fault. The nightmare was my fault too” his voice cracked. Arthur didn’t understand as the ghost continued.

“I was so angry when I came back. I had treated you like dirt. You didn’t deserve that” Lewis shook his skull from side to side, his hair crackling in agitation.

Arthur looked his friend in the eyes as he responded, “But, then you forgave me. I don’t blame you for being angry, you know that” Arthur insisted.

“That’s not it” Lewis shook his skull harder. “I… I made you afraid of me. I… I hurt you. I was a monster to you... I… I am a **Monster**!” Lewis’ flames completely snuffed out as he continued to wail.

Arthur pulled his friend back into a hug, wishing he had two hands to comfort him. Lewis buried his now bare skull in Arthurs’ neck again as he continued to sob, his tears running down the other mans’ chest.

Arthur didn’t know what kind of nightmare had made the ghost this upset; he had never seen Lewis this distraught. But he wasn’t going to ask him. Arthur knew from personal experience that when he himself had a nightmare, the last thing he wanted to do was walk back through it.

Arthur slowly got to his feet, Lewis’s skull still tucked against his neck. Using his only hand, Arthur put it in the crook of Lewis’ arm and pulled the ghost to his feet. Lewis kept his head buried as the smaller man carefully guided them around the burnt chair and crumpled up arm.

When they left the room, Arthur guided them back to their pillow fort that was still standing in the living room. He then got the ghost to sit down and Arthur sat beside him.

Looking over, Arthur saw that Lewis looked defeated; his body sagged as glowing tear still flowed down his cheek bones. Scanning down at the specters’ locket, he saw it was a dull gray, beating weakly.

Leaning on his friends’ broad shoulder, the blonde reached over and plucked Lewis’ locket off his chest. The ghost didn’t respond as Arthur examined the anchor. It felt cold and heavy in his hand. But, as he began to rub small circles on the surface with his callused thumb, Lewis began to relax, a content look crossing his boney face.

Without a word, Arthur pressed the cool metal to the small burn on his chest, still rubbing his thumb on the lockets surface. Lewis’s skull began to sink lower and lower as the tension from his nightmare began to lift.

Well, not completely. He could never forget the terror he felt and could only imagine if Arthur had felt the same on the day they first found him in his mansion.

That thought made him shudder.

“Hey Lew?” Arthurs’ voice was barely above a whisper.

Lewis turned his skull to look at the smaller man leaning on his arm. Arthur was still looking at Lewis’s beating heart pressed against his chest.

“You know I love you, and I would never hurt you, right?” he asked, turning his head to look up into the specters’ eyes.

Not expecting such a question, Lewis didn’t respond at first, lost in those amber eyes. Arthur, however, took it as a bad sign and looked down at the heart again. He sighed heavily as he felt tears forming at the corners of his eyes. A large, boney hand cupped Arthurs’ cheek and turned his head towards glowing eyes. Lewis pressed his forehead to the blondes’ and closed his eye sockets.

“I do mi amor. I know you would never hurt me” he answered. “I wish… I could say the same but, I’ve already broken that promise a few times…” Lewis choked out.

“I guess, that makes us even then” Arthur laughed/sobbed, a tear escaping down his cheek and disappearing into his goatee.

 

* * *

 

It was late afternoon when Vivi pulled up to the mansion. Sighing, she stretched as she exited the van.

“Man, I’ll never understand how the boys can stand driving for hours non-stop. I think I have a new respect for them” she mumbled to Mystery who was stretching his back beside her.

Grabbing her over-night bag and locking up the van, Vivi and Mystery headed into the ghostly mansion. As soon as she opened the front door, she was greeted by Lewis’s deadbeats, all of them cooing and purring.

“Aw, I missed you too” Vivi giggled. Mystery rolled his eyes as one little pink ghost nuzzled him under the chin.

Mystery began to sniff the air. Vivi couldn’t help but do the same. With a disappointed look, the blue girl grumbled, “Something definitely smells burnt. Surly they didn’t get into too much trouble while we were gone.”

Sighing again, Vivi asked a deadbeat that had settled on her shoulder, “Do you guys know where Lewis and Arthur are?” as soon as she asked, the deadbeats all took off down a hall. Glancing at her dog, they both followed the little ghosts until they came to the living room.

It was quiet. There were pillows and blankets thrown everywhere along with what appeared to be stuffing and bits of popcorn. Vivi was just about to call out until she heard a faint beating, like a heartbeat. Stepping around the sofa, Vivi and Mystery both stopped and smiled.

In what remained of a pillow-fort slept her boys. Both were lying on their side holding each other. Lewis’s bare skull was tucked under Arthurs’ chin, his boney face buried in the other mans’ chest. Arthurs’ arm was wrapped around the ghosts’ shoulder while Lewis’ arms engulfed the smaller man completely. The beating was coming from Lewis’ locket which was clutched in Arthurs’ hand.

The deadbeats had settled on the sofa, quietly giggling. Before Vivi could comment, Arthur began to stir. He inhaled deeply, flexing his shoulders. This caused Lewis to nuzzle deeper into the others’ chest. Arthur giggled as the movement tickled. Both opened their eyes as they slowly looked at each other. They had a dusting of pink on their cheeks, but smiled contently at each other.

Vivi couldn’t remain quiet any longer as she sighed (swooned). Both boys’ heads shot in her direction, eyes wide in surprise.

“Oh, don’t mind me” she giggled. Her giggling turned to laughter as Lewis and Arthurs’ faces turned deep red in embarrassment. Lewis released the blonde and helped him to a sitting position.

“Arthur, what’s that mark on your chest?” Vivi asked innocently, pointing at the fading red mark.

If Lewis had skin, it would have paled. Arthur looked at it, unsure as to what to say as Lewis’s locket froze in his hand.

“I didn’t know you could get a hicky from a ghost~” Vivi started giggling again.

The blonde and the ghost looked at each other in disbelief at that comment. Vivi took it as admittance and laughed. Arthur joined her but with less enthusiasm.

“Well, I’ll let you guys finish getting up while I get a shower, then we can have lunch” she stated as she left with her bag, leaving her boys on the floor surrounded by pillows.

Both watched her leave, not moving. Mystery gave them both a once-over before following Vivi out of the room, a knowing smile on his furry lips. Arthur was about to stand when he felt Lewis’s anchor shudder in his hand.

“Does… does it hurt?” the ghosts’ voice whispered, sounding more distorted than usual.

Arthur turned to his friend and saw his purple eyes were wide as they stared at his bare chest, glowing tears threatening to spill out again.

Arthur really wished he had two arms right now.

The blonde shifted so he was on his knees so he was eye level with his friend.

With the locket still in his hand, he gestured for the ghost to put out one of his boney hands. He then grasped Lewis’s hand with the locket in between. Amber eyes met purple as their hands squeezed together.

“Now you listen to me” Arthur's voice was stern. “You did _not_ do anything wrong. There is _nothing_ to apologize for and you _did not_ hurt me. Understand?”

Lewis had never herd Arthur use this tone before. He had almost missed what he said, almost.

With his shoulders trembling, Lewis just nodded, never averting his eyes. A warm smile played on the smaller mans’ face. Lewis’s human façade materialized to return the smile as a few glowing tears escaped. He then pulled Arthur into a bear hug.

Taking a deep breath he didn’t need, he sighed deeply before pulling out of their hug.

“I better get started on lunch before Vivi gets done” the ghost stated.

“Did you want any help?” Arthur asked, his timid nature returning as he looked down. Lewis’s smile deepened as he squeezed his friends’ shoulders, his anchor glowing gold once more.

“Of course, then maybe, I could help you with fixing your arm later?” he asked sheepishly.

Arthur snorted a laugh. “Sure Lew, I’m ‘all right’ but I’m sure you could ‘hand-le’ a few things.” Both boys laughed at the bad pun as they headed to the kitchen.

Arthur knew that Lewis would one day tell him what his nightmare was about but not until he was ready. Arthur had a few himself he wasn’t ready to share but, someday, maybe he’d stop being afraid too.


End file.
